Venice: a city like no other, built of hundreds of islands with even more bridges connecting them. It’s a must-see on many peoples’ lists when visiting Italy and for good reason. The last few years Venice has been in the news for being overcrowded with tourists and extreme prices (especially for food). Luckily, when I visited Venice a couple weeks ago it was before tourism season really started and it rained so there were virtually no crowds. It was fantastic and honestly, the best part of the city is getting lost. It is inevitable, but I don’t think there is a bad view in the entire city. Unfortunately, since I was only in Venice for a day I wasn’t able to go into any of the museums, which I would have loved to if I had another day. I would recommend spending 2-4 days in Venice.
Check out my must-sees below:
St. Mark’s Basilica: From the outside alone you can see how impressive the basilica is, but take a step inside to be blown away. There was no charge to get into the main section of the basilica, but once inside you had to pay to go to certain areas (we stuck to the main area that was free). The inside is filled with mosaics of gold and other bright colors depicting important religious scenes. The mosaics are so detailed they will take your breath away and you could spend all day admiring them.
Piazza San Marco: The Piazza surrounding the basilica is a popular gathering spot for tourists and as the sun started to set more and more people began appearing in costume for Carnivale. It’s a nice spot to sit and relax for a minute or two- as long as it isn’t raining!
Carnivale customes in Piazza San Marco
Doge’s Palace: Right next to St. Mark’s Basilica is Doge’s Palace, home to the Doge of Venice. It is constructed in typical Venetian style and is now a museum.
Bridges of Sighs: Attached to Doge’s Palace is the Bridge of Sighs, the point where prisoners would get their last glimpse of Venice while on their way to execution. It’s easy to pass by without stopping or knowing what it is if it wasn’t for the crowd of people all trying to grab a picture of it.
Rialto Bridge: The oldest bridge to cross the Grand Canal, and probably the most famous one as well. This is a must-see for most people while in Venice, and while it does have excellent views of the Grand Canal, don’t be sucked into souvenir shopping at the many stores on or near the bridge (prices are much higher).
Rialto Bridge
Grand Canal: Of course everyone has to see the Grand Canal while in Venice. Some may opt to take a gondola or water taxi down them, but we opted to just see the canal from the land. There are plenty of places to catch spectacular views of the canal without paying to be on the canal if you want to take that route.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo: This building is gaining popularity amongst tourists and just opened to the public in 2016. It is located in a quiet area of Venice and is best known for its spiral staircase.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo
Acqua Alta Library: One off the beaten trail stop we made was at this bookshop. It has a staircase made of books that you can climb to view the canals, along with an amazing selection of books (in multiple languages) and postcards. If you are a book lover it is a must see shop located in a quiet area of Venice.
No matter where you end up in Venice you will be charmed by its beauty. Don’t be afraid to get lost. And don’t forget to get gelato!
Until next time,
❤ Ashley
Never Stop Wayfaring 